Pitching Limits Right On Target

OPINION - My WORD

June 27, 2004|By Hector Vidal

The article "Taking pitching to the limit," by Joe Williams, published June 13, hit the nail on the head about abuse of children in youth baseball programs, especially in pitching throughout the state.

I am a volunteer baseball coach who has managed youth teams in various leagues in the past six years. I teach pitching, batting, catching and running mechanics. I teach infield and outfield, offensive and defensive techniques. I have a staff of volunteer coaches, and together we have had winning teams every season because of the time we devote to the children.

We have always had the strongest pitchers in the leagues because we teach our players the proper pitching mechanics and how to develop their arms.

One of the most important things we teach is pitch count. We start developing pitchers with practices twice a week and sometimes three times a week, depending on their ability to learn. We teach 11- and 12-year-olds to throw 75 pitches so that they can pitch 50 to 60 in a game without difficulty. That way, they are able to pitch four innings maximum in a game, as long as the count does not exceed the training.

It takes a lot of physical training. There are exercises that the players have to learn. It involves discipline and positive mental attitude. Not everyone can be a pitcher.

Many coaches don't even imagine the stress levels that our child pitchers go through on the mound. Most coaches don't seem to care. They don't develop the pitchers, yet they expect them to throw their arms out game after game without any consideration of their future. Many coaches want them to play in different leagues in the same season, and that's when they really hurt the children for life.

There are many coaches who teach boys how to pitch curve balls and breaking balls before reaching high school. That is the worst thing that any boy can learn during his growth in the sport before reaching college. Most of the injuries leading to surgeries are caused by throwing curve balls and breaking balls at an early age. And worst of all, the leagues permit it to happen.

You have to teach the players to have fun. If they don't learn proper mechanics and techniques, they won't have fun. They'll get frustrated and can get hurt.

Some coaches have questioned why our program has so many winning teams. And the answer is that when you teach the players the right methods, character, principles, values, self-respect, discipline and leadership, everything else falls in place. Our mission is to make responsible young people of our players, and that separates our teams from others.

Baseball is one of the most-played youth sports in Florida. Our area needs to be educated on this sport. We owe it to our children.